


Distractions

by whereismywarden (PearOh)



Series: Dragon Age - Warden Elaine Cousland - Homecoming Worldstate [1]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types
Genre: Archery, Established Relationship, F/M, Female Gaze, Hot Weather, Pre-Dragon Age: Origins, Shirtless, Writing Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2020-07-19
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:56:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25384177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PearOh/pseuds/whereismywarden
Summary: (Tumblr prompt) Elle really likes watching Nate practice archery shirtless in the courtyard.
Relationships: Female Cousland/Nathaniel Howe
Series: Dragon Age - Warden Elaine Cousland - Homecoming Worldstate [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1838344
Kudos: 9
Collections: Homecoming Worldstate





	Distractions

**Author's Note:**

> Tumblr prompt for @charlatron who asked: "Bending over seductively to pick something up for the other" for Elle/Nathaniel.

Summer in Kirkwall is almost unbearable. It’s hot and humid and leaves you drenched in sweat. It hasn’t stopped Nate from going about his daily morning routine, however. Elle doesn’t understand how he can bear training in those conditions when she can barely walk ten minutes under the sun before the heat becomes overwhelming.

She does like the view, though.

She likes watching him from the loggia as he practices archery shirtless in the courtyard. She likes watching his muscles tense as he draws his bow. She likes watching the pearls of sweat slowly trickle down his strong back. She likes watching him until another kind of heat forces her back into the cool embrace of their home.

Nate takes a deep breath before letting the arrow fly. It hits the centre of the target and is soon followed by another one.

“You’ve made a lot of progress since the first time I saw you shoot,” she muses as he readies another arrow.

“You mean that time you distracted me with that seethrough gown?”

“It wasn’t seethrough.”

“I must have imagined the rosy swell of your breasts, then,” he says, his eyes never straying from the target. 

He releases his grip on the bowstring and the arrow shoots forward, lodging itself on the target with precision, only mere inches from its sisters.

“Fine, you’ve always been a great archer, but can you shoot this?”

Without any other warning, she throws an apple across the courtyard. Nate doesn’t miss a beat and, swift as the wind, sticks an arrow through the fruit in mid-air _and_ still manages to hit the target with it.

“Damn, that’s hot…”

“Why don’t you come over here and give it a shot too?” he offers, finally turning around to face her. “Pun intended.”

He doesn’t have to ask her twice. It may be unbearably hot out there, but she can’t resist the urge to wipe that shit-eating grin off his face. She grabs her own bow from its stand and joins him on the makeshift practice range they installed in their courtyard. 

She’s already drawn the string back when she catches sight of him from the corner of her eye, bending down to pick up a fresh apple from the ground under a nearby tree. He’s doing it on purpose, she’s sure of it. He’s got his back turned to her at an angle that shows off just how tightly his breaches fit around his arse. And Maker, is it a fine arse, all firm and nicely rounded, and he was tempting her with it.

The string slips from her fingers before he can even throw the apple. The arrow doesn’t even land on the target, instead hitting the stone wall behind it before falling ungracefully to the ground.

Nate lets out a bellowing laugh.

“It’s too hot for target practice!” she protests with a pout. “My hands are sweaty and slippery!”

“Sure, blame the sun for your terrible skills.”

“Actually, I’m blaming you. You and your… perfectly chiselled bottom.”

“Is that so?”

She sneers at him. “You did this on purpose, didn't you?”

Sinking his teeth into the apple, Nate starts moving towards her, a winning smile on his face. She can feel his eyes burning holes through her skin as he looks her up and down with a mix of amusement and lust.

She holds his gaze until he’s close enough that she can feel the heat radiating from him. Or maybe it’s her — she isn’t quite sure anymore. “I’m going back inside.”

She needs to jump into an ice-cold bath, and fast.


End file.
